Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers,
1945, The British Commonwealth, The Far East, Volume VI

SWNCC 21 Series

Revision of General Order No. 1

SWNCC 21/5

[Washington, August 11,
1945.]

Military and Naval

I.

The Imperial General Headquarters by direction of the
Emperor, and pursuant to the surrender to the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers of all Japanese armed forces
by the Emperor, hereby orders all of its commanders in Japan
and abroad to cause the Japanese armed forces and
Japanese-controlled forces under their command to cease
hostilities at once, to lay down their arms, to remain in
their present locations and to surrender unconditionally to
commanders acting on behalf of the United States, the
Republic of China, the United Kingdom and the British
Empire, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as
indicated hereafter. Immediate contact will be made with the
indicated commanders, or their designated representatives,
and their instructions will be completely and immediately
carried out. [Page 636]

a.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces within China,
excluding Manchuria, Formosa and French Indo-China
north of 16° north latitude shall surrender to the
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.

b.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces within Manchuria,
Korea north of 38° north latitude and Karafuto shall
surrender to the Commander-in-Chief of Soviet Forces
in the Far East.

c.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces within Thailand,
Burma, Malaya, French Indo-China south of 16° north
latitude, Sumatra, Java, Andamans, Nicobars, Borneo
and the Lesser Sundas shall surrender to the Supreme
Allied Commander, Southeast Asia Command.

d.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces in the Celebes,
Halmahera, New Guinea, the Banda Sea areas,
Bismarcks and Solomons shall surrender to the
Commander-in-Chief, Australian Imperial
Forces.

e.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces in the Japanese
Mandated Islands, Bonins and other Pacific Islands
shall surrender to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S.
Pacific Fleet

f.

The senior Japanese commanders and all ground,
sea, air and auxiliary forces in Korea south of 38°
north latitude shall surrender to the Commanding
General, U.S. Expeditionary Forces in Korea.

g.

The Imperial General Headquarters, its senior
commanders, and all ground, sea, air and auxiliary
forces in the main islands of Japan, minor islands
adjacent thereto, the Ryukyus, and the Philippines
shall surrender to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army
Forces in the Pacific.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters further orders
its commanders in Japan and abroad to disarm completely all
forces of Japan or under Japanese control, wherever they may
be situated, and to deliver intact and in safe and good
condition all weapons and equipment at such time and at such
places as may be prescribed by the Allied Commanders
indicated above. (Pending further instructions, the Japanese
police force in the main islands of Japan will be exempt
from this disarmament provision. The police force will
remain at their posts and shall be held responsible for the
preservation of law and order. The strength and arms of such
a police force will be prescribed.)

II.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters shall furnish
to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, within (time
limit) of receipt of this order, complete information with
respect to Japan and all areas under Japanese control, as
follows:

a.

Lists of all land, air and anti-aircraft units
showing locations and strengths in officers and
men.

b.

Lists of all aircraft, military, naval and civil,
giving complete information as to the number, type,
location and condition of such aircraft.

c.

Lists of all Japanese and Japanese-controlled
naval vessels, surface and submarine and auxiliary
naval craft in or out of commission and under
construction giving their position, condition and
movement.

d.

Lists of all Japanese and Japanese-controlled
merchant ships of over 100 gross tons, in or out of
commission and under construction, including
merchant ships formerly belonging to any of the
United Nations which are now in Japanese hands,
giving their position, condition and
movement.

e.

Complete and detailed information, accompanied by
maps, showing locations and layouts of all mines,
minefields and other obstacles to movement by land,
sea or air and the safety lanes in connection
therewith.

f.

Locations and descriptions of all military
installations and establishments, including
airfields, seaplane bases, anti-aircraft defenses,
ports and naval bases, storage depots, permanent and
temporary land and coast fortifications, fortresses
and other fortified areas.

g.

Locations of all camps and other places of
detention of United Nations prisoners of war and
civilian internees.

III.

Japanese armed forces and civil aviation authorities will
insure that all Japanese military, naval and civil aircraft
remain on the ground, on the water, or aboard ship, until
further notification of the disposition to be made of
them.

IV.

Japanese or Japanese-controlled naval or merchant vessels
of all types will be maintained without damage and will
undertake no movement pending instructions from the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers. Vessels at sea will
immediately render harmless and throw overboard explosives
of all types. Vessels not at sea will immediately remove
explosives of all types to safe storage ashore.

V.

Responsible Japanese or Japanese-controlled military and
civil authorities will insure that:

a.

All Japanese mines, minefields and other obstacles
to movement by land, sea and air, wherever located,
be removed according to instructions of the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers.

b.

All aids to navigation be reestablished at
once.

c.

All safety lanes be kept open and clearly marked
pending accomplishment of a
above.

VI.

Responsible Japanese and Japanese-controlled military and
civil authorities will hold intact and in good condition
pending further instructions from the Supreme Commander for
the Allied Powers the following:

a.

All arms, ammunition, explosives, military
equipment, stores and supplies, and other implements
of war of all kinds and all other war material
(except as specifically prescribed in Section IV of
this order).

b.

All land, water and air transportation and
communication facilities and equipment.

c.

All military installations and establishments,
including airfields, seaplane bases, anti-aircraft
defenses, ports and naval bases, storage depots,
permanent and temporary land and coast
fortifications, fortresses and other fortified
areas, together with plans and drawings of all such
fortifications, installations and
establishments.

d.

All factories, plants, shops, research
institutions, laboratories, testing stations,
technical data, patents, plans, drawings and
inventions designed or intended to produce or to
facilitate the production or use of all implements
of war and other material and property used by or
intended for use by any military or paramilitary
organization in connection with its
operations.

VII.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters shall furnish
to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, within (time
limit) or receipt of this order, complete lists of all the
items specified in paragraphs a, b,
and d of Section VI, above,
indicating the numbers, types and locations of each.

VIII.

The manufacture and distribution of all arms, ammunition
and implements of war will cease forthwith.

IX.

With respect to United Nations prisoners of war and
civilian internees in the hands of Japanese or
Japanese-controlled authorities:

a.

The safety and well-being of all United Nations
prisoners of war and civilian internees will be
scrupulously preserved, to include the
administrative and supply services essential to
provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, and
medical care until such responsibility is undertaken
by the Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers;

b.

Each camp or other place of detention of United
Nations prisoners of war and civilian internees
together with its equipment, stores, records, arms,
and ammunition will be delivered immediately to the
command of the senior officer or designated
representative of the prisoners of war and civilian
internees;

c.

As directed by the Supreme Commander for the
Allied Powers, prisoners of war and civilian
internees will be transported to places of safety
where they can be accepted by allied
authorities;

d.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters will
furnish to the Supreme Commander for the Allied
Powers, within (time limit) of the receipt of this
order, complete lists of all United Nations
prisoners of war and civilian internees, indicating
their location.

X.

All Japanese and Japanese-controlled military and civil
authorities shall aid and assist the occupation of Japan and
Japanese-controlled areas by forces of the Allied
Powers.

XI.

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and appropriate
Japanese officials shall be prepared, on instructions from
Allied occupation commanders, to collect and deliver all
arms in the possession of the Japanese civilian
population.

XII.

This and all subsequent instructions issued by the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Forces or other allied military
authorities [Page 639]will be
scrapulously and promptly obeyed by Japanese and
Japanese-controlled military and civil officials and private
persons. Any delay or failure to comply with the provisions
of this or subsequent orders, and any action which the
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers determines to be
detrimental to the Allied Powers, will incur drastic and
summary punishment at the hands of allied military
authorities and the Japanese Government.